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Dalyan: The tiny town of Dalyan in the province of Mugla on the South-Western Mediterranean is set in the centre of a broad delta whose natural beauty is completely unspoilt. This is one of the surviving corners of paradise, an area of outstanding natural beauty and historic interest.

The Dalyan Channel, through which water circulates between the Mediterranean and Köycegiz Lake slowly meanders, forming a network of small lakes and waterways through reed beds rising to between 3 and 5 metres in height. (The journey through this natural labyrinth is romantic and mysterious) With its mixture of fresh and salt water, these wetlands have become home to vast numbers of fish and other water life, as well as the birds of many species which feed on them. Dividing the sea from the delta is the Iztuzu sandbar stretching for 5km east from the mouth of the channel.

With its fine crystal sand, shallow turquoise sea and abundant sunshine, Iztuzu beach is the ideal seaside spot, perfect for swimming for 7 months of the year. It is this beach to which the endangered Mediterranean turtle Caretta Caretta has returned year after year to lay its eggs since time immemorial.

The Sultanye Thermal Baths: The Sultaniye Thermal Baths are to the Southwest of Köycegiz lake. The water here at 40 Celsius is second to none. The water at these baths was first used in Caunon times, then by the Byzantines, who rebuilt the accommodations. The ruins of the buildings from the period are submerged beneath the waters of the lake. It is not unusual to see the Turkish elderly make pilgrimages to the baths due to the water’s curative properties in case of neuralgia, rheumatism and skin disorders of the liver, spleen and bowels.

The Mud Baths: "Beauty Mud" which not only cleanses and tones the skin but is said to remedy rheumatism and has anti-ageing properties. After allowing the mud to dry, it can be removed in a natural clear water sulphur pool, at temperatures of around 40 Celsius. This leaves you refreshed and relaxed.

Caunos: The ancient city of Caunos stands midway along the channel facing Dalyan. Settlement here is believed to date from 3000 BC by Caunos, the son of Miletos and it later grew into a major port on the border between Lycia and Caria. Sprawling over a broad sloping site overlooking the sea and the delta, the principal monuments to be seen in Caunos are the Acropolis surrounded by city walls, a theatre, four temples, an agora, stoa, nymphain, baths, palestra, churches and a cistern.

The imposing Lycian rock tombs with their facades curved into the form of temples were the last resting place of the kings of Caunos. The city had two harbours, one for military use and the other for merchants. Inscriptions discovered on the nymphain have been found to cite customs regulations and have thrown valuable light on the economic life of the city.

For a comprehensive list of restaurants and independent reviews, be sure to check out the restaurants page.

And for a list of all the bars, see the bars page.

There are Turkish nights held in Dalyan with dancing, traditional Turkish costumes, folk music and special food. We will post more details as the season gets under way, or pop into our office for more details.

For something really special, we organise overnight jeep safaris down to secluded beaches. Drink, fire, barbeque, music and all night fun included. Simply ask us and we'll organise you the night of a lifetime.

Money: It is possible to change money in either of the two banks (open 08:30-17:00) in Dalyan or in the post office (PTT - open 08:30-12:00). All three places change travellers cheques and also have ATMs which accept major credit cards. If a card refuses to work in one, simply try another place. Most shops and businesses prefer cash, but credit cards are accepted in almost all of them.

Health: The Turkish sun is very fierce. Please wear high factor suncream for the first few days. Unfortunately Dalyan has mosquitoes, which sometimes can be a nuisance. In the evening wear mosquito repellent, use electric mosquito tablets in your room and if bitten wash each bite with plenty of soap and water and then apply some antihistamine cream (available from the chemist, or eczane - open 09:00 - 21:00) liberally to each bite. The chemists speak English and are very well trained and stock all internationally known drugs. The water in Dalyan is safe to drink, however it is high in mineral content and drinking two or three litres of it every day, if you are not used to it, can lead to a slightly queasy stomach. We recommend you by bottled water instead.

Services: Shops in Dalyan are open from 09:00 to midnight. The post office (PTT) is in the centre of town and operates an efficient mail service, letters arriving in England approx. Four days after posting. The phones are cheapest to use at the post office and operate using cards bought from inside. A five minute call can be made to England by using a 100 unit card. To phone England dial 00 44 and then miss off the zero from the area code. Remember if calling from a hotel room to dial 9 first. There are many internet cafes in Dalyan that are very inexpensive to use.

Tipping: It is customary to leave a tip in restaurants (10%), for hotel chambermaids, in reception for hotel staff and for bus drivers. Taxi drivers do not normally expect a tip.

Crime and emergencies: Please take the usual precautions. Use the hotel safes, keep your wallets in an inside pocket and do not leave any valuables unattended. You must report anything stolen or lost to the local police or Jandarme and get a report before you can claim on your insurance. Emergency numbers are:
Police 155
Jandarme 156
Ambulance 112
Fire 110
To use these numbers from a public call box you need a phone card.

Getting around: Taxis are the most convenient way of getting around but tend to cost the most. Dolmus buses are the cheapest way of getting from a to b. They operate from beside the post office and go to Marmaris, Fethiye, Ortaca and Iztuzu (turtle) beach. Printed on the Dolmus office is a timetable. Another way to get to Iztuzu beach is by boat, the cheapest being the public boats, otherwise known as the Dalyan ko-op boats. Car rental is easy to arrange and the roads are mostly adequate and well sign posted. If hiring a car in turkey, you are certainly recommended to play safe and hire one from an international company that is also recognised in your home country.

Dalyan: The most famous place in Dalyan is the mud baths. These can be visited by boat from the harbour. Further up the river is Sultaniye hot springs where you can bath in naturally hot spring water, then the 12 km long Köycegiz lake and the town of Köycegiz itself. Down river are the 2300 year old Lycian cliff tombs and the ancient city of Caunos, which is such a must to visit, before you wind your way to the beach. The beach is one of only a few nesting sites of the rare loggerhead turtles and is closed to the public after 8:00pm as after this is when the turtles arrive to come up and lay their eggs. Shopping in Dalyan is suprisingly good and Dalyan has its own market which is open every Saturday.